Importance

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Abstract

An electrical switch includes a stationary center contact located between spaced apart stationary first and second contacts. The contacts are mounted-within the interior of a housing, and a movable-contact member selectively establishes contact between the stationary center contact and the stationary first contact, and between the stationary center contact and the stationary second contact. The center contact includes a planar upwardly facing contact surface, and the movable contact member includes a central contact area which remains in engagement with the planar contact surface of the center contact and acts as a fulcrum during movement of the movable-contact member between first and second operative positions. The spaced apart stationary first and second contacts define coplanar upwardly facing first and second contact surfaces, respectively, which are at an elevation below the elevation of the contact surface of the stationary center contact. The movable contact member includes first and second contact arms which extend outwardly from the central contact area, and movable first and second contacts are mounted to the first and second contact arms, respectively. The movable first and second contacts each have a thickness which corresponds to the difference in elevation between the contact surface of the center contact and the contact surfaces of the stationary first and second contacts, such that the first and second arms lie in a common plane when the movable contact member is in the first and second operative positions, respectively. An actuator is interconnected with the movable contact member, for providing movement between the first and second operative positions. The actuator includes a biased control member that moves along the first and second arms, for moving the movable contact member between the first and second operative positions. The biased control member is operable to apply downward forces on the first and second contact arms when the movable contact member is in the respective first and second operative positions, to force the central contact area of the movable contact member into contact with the contact surface of the stationary center contact, and also to force the respective movable first and second contacts against the stationary first and second contacts, respectively.

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First Claim